Daddy Issues are the Least of your Worries

It's 2014 and one of the most respected actors on television is Bryan Cranston. The man recently won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of depraved anti-hero Walter White, and for scaring the bejeezus out of us for five heart-pounding seasons of wonderful television. He is in a position right now where he can do almost anything he wants with his career. The man is a legend, and his acting skills will be forever enthroned in the pantheon of television greats.

It's 2001. Bryan Cranston is on Malcolm in the Middle. He is singing a song about eating bacon while dancing around in tightie-whities.

Most people, believing that comedic and dramatic actors are two entirely different breeds, can't make the connection between these two wildly different stages of Cranston's career. They call the period he's in right now the most successful time of his career, when in reality he was a star on a long-running sitcom for over six years. And not a bad sitcom, either; people LOVED Malcolm in the Middle, and it certainly wasn't because of Frankie Muniz.

This article's not about Cranston (mostly). It's about why this show isn't a bad place to get your start. I wish more of the actors on this show had the same career boom as Cranston, because they ALL have chops.

Break out the PBR, kids. We're heading to our favorite Tri-County area with the Malcolm in the Middle drinking game.

Drink up, Nerds!

I am convinced that we will never see a show like 30 Rock again.

Around this time last year it ended forever. Since then, I have consistently watched re-runs. I have constantly quoted snippets from my favorite episodes both in real life and while I'm watching other shows (only Arrested Development beats this show in terms of quote appropriation). The cast had godlike chemistry, it survived eight seasons despite never being a hit ratings-wise, and more than anything, it raised the standard for what a television comedy could do. It reminded me and thousands of people why we love television in the first place; in the right hands, it can do things films can't. It can create characters that develop long-term and jokes that can ferment for years at a time.

Tina Fey has two new pilots that have been picked up, and I couldn't be happier. But I doubt they'll surpass 30 Rock, a show that stretched boundaries and started trends. However, like any successful TV sitcom, it does have a formula, and therefore makes a great drinking game.